ESPN’s Wrestlepalooza: Hype, Highlights, and a Curious Quiet Aftermath

A Great Start

In the lead-up to Wrestlepalooza, WWE talent flooded ESPN programming. Some appearances hit the mark — “The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and WWE Chief Content Creator Paul “Triple H" Levesque stood out — while others, surprisingly, fell flat, such as Seth Rollins. A definite highlight was AJ Lee on Vibe Check and SportsCenter, whose recent return after a 10-year hiatus offered an easy entry point for casual fans. From morning to evening in the days before the event, WWE was virtually inescapable on ESPN.

In each appearance, Triple H promised spectacle, surprises, and fun. The show delivered spectacle and fun, though the surprises were fewer than expected. As a fan, I particularly delight in wrestling’s shenanigans. Given that this was ESPN’s introduction to WWE, I had hoped for more creative ways to showcase their broader roster outside the ring. Beyond the announced contests, very few of WWE’s talent were utilized in this debut.

I was particularly caught off guard by the storyline choices but that’s the lot of the wrestling fan. On such a big platform, I expected WWE to appeal to casual fans by crafting a classic underdog story around current hero Cody Rhodes. I thought back to Drew McIntyre’s pandemic-era win, when he carried the show in empty arenas, creating new content during a difficult, isolating time. A celebration with the energy of a filled arena would have been special. Similarly, John Cena, in his final run before retirement, seemed ripe for a feel-good retirement win. Instead, the bookings went in the opposite direction, and the matches themselves, while enjoyable, weren't particularly memorable.

The night’s highlights included the women’s match, where Stephanie Vaquer, cheered on by her father in the crowd, defeated IYO SKY to capture the Women’s World Title. Another standout was the mixed tag team bout featuring husband-and-wife duos CM Punk & AJ Lee taking on Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch. It allowed the performers to showcase their athleticism along with playful chemistry — a reminder of how entertaining wrestling can be when the balance is right.

Then Crickets

What surprised me most about ESPN’s debut PLE Wrestlepalooza, however, was the quiet that followed. By Monday, ESPN’s studio programs barely mentioned the event. While the NFL dominates this time of year, I expected some post-event payoff after so much pre-event hype. But there wasn’t a variety of post-show takes presented by the ESPN hosts who had built anticipation, leaving the event largely unacknowledged in their daily studio shows.

Opening the ESPN app’s Verts tab on Tuesday morning, it was a pleasant surprise to see Monday Night Raw recaps by Arda Ocal carrying some of the new partnership’s energy forward. Still, as both a WWE and ESPN fan, it was disappointing that ESPN didn’t capitalize on the excitement. Especially given the negative sentiment around the costs and complications of accessing the event, it seemed like a missed opportunity to nurture fans who made the effort and now find themselves within the ESPN ecosystem.

For a debut partnership, the lack of follow-through in the studio was hard to miss. WWE is not a traditional sport but rather athletic entertainment, so some growing pains were expected. Still, after a week of heavy promotion across ESPN’s studio shows, the quiet aftermath made it seem as though the event had already been forgotten.

That silence was quickly filled by wrestling fans’ attention on ESPN.com’s own recap by Andreas Hale, which gave Wrestlepalooza only middling scores. Even so, the talent and storytelling glimpsed during Wrestlepalooza hint at the potential for something bigger. AJ Lee’s return, Stephanie Vaquer’s championship moment, and the mixed tag team match reminded fans how dynamic and entertaining wrestling can be when the balance is right.

The debut may have been uneven, but the foundation is there. If ESPN leans into post-event coverage and finds creative ways to showcase more of WWE content, these PLE events could serve as a bridge between mainstream sports and athletic entertainment. That, in turn, will not only strengthen the partnership but also have a chance to broaden the ESPN audience by winning over WWE’s passionate and more diverse fan base.